Mix things up with these 30 healthy lunch ideas that are perfect for families or meal prep.
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Lunch does not have to be boring or lacking in flavor for that matter.
I love to make delicious, fresh lunches that are as easy as they are healthy. It can sometimes be hard to find inspiration, though, when you are in the thick of things at home.
So, I put together 30 great healthy lunch recipes that are perfect for families or as meal prep to have in the middle of a busy work day. Enjoy!
Ingredients to Have on Hand
Protein – For lunch, I like to be able to easily grab the protein element. So, I’ll either reach for something simple like black beans or I’ll make sure to have some protein prepped. Ground turkey, beef, and chicken are all great. You could also roast a whole chicken and easily use the shredded chicken for wraps or on salads.
Healthy fats – Creamy avocado, olive oil, and mayo (try my easy homemade mayo here) are all great to have on hand to add some filling fat to your healthy meal.
Veggies – Fresh produce such as lettuce, cherry tomatoes is always ideal, but fermented or pickled veggies are great, too! I like to add in pickled red onion or fermented bell peppers whenever I can.
Carbs – I always keep some kind of bread on hand to easily make sandwiches. My sourdough sandwich bread and sourdough dinner rolls are two of my favorites. You can also replace the bread with carbs such as sweet potatoes or rice.
Tips
- Pair the main dish of these lunch ideas with veggies and ranch dip or tortilla chips and salsa.
- Get extra protein by serving these easy lunch ideas with cottage cheese or have some Greek yogurt for dessert.
- If you need something quick and with minimal effort, try making a grown-up lunchable! I like to have a hard-boiled egg, pickles, hummus, farmer’s cheese, and sourdough pita chips or sourdough crackers.
Healthy Lunch Ideas
Sourdough bagels are savory, chewy, crusty, and deliciously tangy. These are an amazing way to start your morning or to enjoy for a yummy brunch.Lunch idea: Sourdough bagels are delicious base that make building a healthy lunch simple—top them with creamy spreads like cream cheese, avocado or hummus, add protein such as smoked salmon, turkey, or eggs, and pile on fresh veggies.
Sourdough Bagels
Learn how to make the softest and most delicious sourdough pita bread recipe. A soft and fluffy bread with that pocket you love and expect from a pita.Lunch idea: Pita bread makes lunchtime easy – fill the pockets with fresh veggies, protein like beans, chicken, or tuna. Incorporate a tasty spread or dressing, like ranch or honey mustard.
Sourdough Pita Bread
Large, fluffy, and buttery, these sourdough sandwich rolls are the perfect way to serve up your favorite sandwiches.Lunch idea: Sourdough sandwich rolls are an easy lunch option—load them with classics like ham, cheese, and mustard.
Sourdough Sandwich Rolls
A go-to lunch on busy days, this Cobb chicken salad tastes like summer. Crispy bacon, hard-boiled eggs, and juicy tomatoes are combined with shredded chicken and mayo to make the most delicious high-protein meal.
Cobb Chicken Salad
Take pizza night up a notch with these sourdough calzones. Made with a flavorful sourdough crust, fill each calzone with sauce, cheese, and your favorite pizza toppings, like red onion, green peppers, or sausage – the options are endless!Lunch idea: Calzones are great to make ahead – freeze after baking, then reheat in the oven until warm and crisp for an easy lunch.
Sourdough Calzones
Tangy sourdough bread with gooey, melty cheese makes this sourdough grilled cheese one of the ultimate comfort foods.
Sourdough Grilled Cheese
Delicious, flavorful meatballs are placed on rolls, smothered with sauce and cheese, and toasted until they reach melty, saucy bliss.
Meatball Sub
Healthy tuna salad is a light, refreshing meal packed with fresh herbs, crunchy garden celery, and a twist of freshly squeezed lemon juice.Lunch idea: Tuna salad makes a quick, protein-packed lunch—serve it in lettuce wraps, on sourdough bread, or stuffed into a pita for something fresh and filling.
Tuna Salad
A delicious, classic egg salad sandwich is the perfect lunch, and this is the best egg salad recipe! I have the best method that creates delicious creamy, savory egg salad sandwiches every time.
Egg Salad Sandwich
A tasty twist on a classic. Southwest chicken salad is packed with chicken, crunchy vegetables, avocados, and bacon with a creamy cilantro lime mayo.
Southwest Chicken Salad
Sourdough stromboli pairs golden, crusty bread with robust ingredients like salami, pepperoni, Canadian bacon, and mozzarella cheese.
Sourdough Stromboli
Learn how to make this easy discard sourdough pizza crust. It only has four basic ingredients, no kneading or rising required.
Sourdough Discard Pizza Crust
These mini ham and Swiss sliders are a sweet and savory delight with a buttery, toasty, lightly crisp exterior that melts in your mouth, they’re simple to make, comforting, and easily feed a crowd.
Ham and Swiss Sliders
A perfect summertime lunch, this Grape Chicken Salad is a simple high-protein meal that the whole family can enjoy. Made with juicy grapes, diced stalks of celery, and crunchy pecans, it is full of flavor and texture.
Chicken Salad with Grapes and Pecans
Family-favorite classic pasta carbonara with fresh noodles, creamy egg-parmesan sauce, and crispy bacon. Simple and delicious!
Pasta Carbonara
This homemade tomato soup recipe starts with fresh tomatoes simmered with onions, garlic, and Italian seasoning.
Lunch idea: Freeze individual portions of tomato soup for quick meals – just thaw, reheat, and pair with a gooey grilled cheese.
Homemade Tomato Soup
This homemade hamburger helper recipe is simple to make and will bring back the memories of this classic 90’s dish.
Hamburger Helper
This vegetable hash in a cast iron skillet is perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner! It’s quick to throw together and easy to clean up.
Vegetable Hash
Crispy, pan-fried salmon croquettes are a delicious, protein-packed main dish you can have on the table in 15 minutes flat.
Salmon Croquettes
Cabbage roll soup is one of those hearty soup recipes that the whole family loves. With a flavor similar to traditional cabbage rolls, this easy cabbage roll soup recipe is a blend of savory meat, bright tomatoes and smoky bacon.Lunch idea: Freeze single servings of cabbage roll soup for an easy grab-and-go meal – reheat and enjoy with crusty bread for a hearty lunch.
Cabbage Roll Soup
This creamy soup featuring fresh broccoli, hearty potatoes and an irresistible smooth texture is a new family favorite of ours.
Lunch idea: Cream of broccoli soup doesn’t freeze well, so it’s best made at the beginning of the week—store in the fridge and enjoy for quick lunches with toast or a sandwich.
Cream of Broccoli Soup
Crispy, delicious potato waffles are a fun way to start the day. This easy recipe uses mashed or shredded potatoes to make the yummiest breakfast.
Potato Waffles
Zucchini Frittata is a simple dish with robust flavors and a creamy, fluffy texture. Zucchini, sweet shallots, fresh eggs, and rich, melted cheese,
Zucchini Frittata
These sourdough ham and cheese rolls are as delicious as they are beautiful. Savory ham and melted cheese are rolled inside homemade rolls to make perfect pinwheels with a golden brown crust.
Sourdough Ham and Cheese Rolls
This Greek pasta salad recipe is full of delicious flavor and uses simple ingredients you likely have on hand. It’s the perfect solution for an easy side or light dinner!
Greek Pasta Salad
Zesty lemon and tender chicken come together in a creamy pasta bursting with flavor, perfect for an easy weeknight meal.
Lemony Chicken Pasta
This very berry kefir smoothie is flavorful, probiotic rich, and loved by everyone in our family. Frozen fruit gives it the consistency of a thin sorbet.
Berry Kefir Smoothie
This stuffed bell pepper soup recipe is a take on traditional stuffed peppers, turned into a hearty soup. Serve hot with a slice of crusty bread for the perfect family meal.
Lunch idea: Make a batch of stuffed bell pepper soup and portion it out for easy meals—top each bowl with a dollop of sour cream for extra creaminess.
Stuffed Bell Pepper Soup
The best Zuppa Toscana Soup is creamy, and flavorful filled to the brim with sausage, bacon, potatoes, kale, bone broth and cream.
Lunch idea: Make Zuppa Toscana at the start of the week and enjoy leftovers for quick, cozy lunches—just add a side of bread for dipping.
Zuppa Toscana Soup
Delicious and hearty cheeseburger soup is a cheesy and veggie packed soup filled with all the best parts of the classic cheeseburger.
Lunch idea: Batch-cook cheeseburger soup and enjoy leftovers for easy lunches and top with shredded cheese, diced pickles, or other favorite burger fixings for a fun twist.
Cheeseburger Soup
If you try any of these recipes and love it, I would love it if you could come back and give it 5 stars! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone.
Lisa thank you for the wonderful recipes!
Share more of them as you create them.
They’re always a hit in my home.
I’d love more veggie recipes please.
Sounds delicious!! I too homeschool my children and believe or not we get really busy with community day, homeschool basketball team, cooking from scratch and trying to keep the house in order. These were fabulous ideas for lunch. Usually I just cook breakfast and dinner. For lunch we do our own thing. However,if I have these scrumptious lunches already prepared the children will not have to just make their famous salami wraps or design your own pasta dish!!!
I love your blog! What a beautifully simple life you’ve created. Thank you so much for sharing. Wish I had discovered the possibilities of a simple life when my kiddos were small. Good for you! God Bless!
Aw! Thank you so much, Janell! 🙂
Great ideas! Love your cooking videos! What herbs did you use in your chicken salad? It looks delicious! For your nachos with veggies, what else is in there? How much beef and cheese do you use and what type of veggies. How long do you cook this? Finally, I love your cooking videos but it would help if you slow down a bit. You talk pretty fast sometimes and I miss some of the ingredients and techniques. Your food looks delicious and I would like to try them. Thanks.
For the chicken salad, I used parsley, basil and oregano. For the nachos, I don’t remember exactly what I used this time. The video was mostly for idea inspiration. I should do a devoted nacho video/post though! I usually use one pound of beef per 9 by 13 glass pan of nachos, one 12 ounce block of cheese. I just add a whole lot of veggies and bake for about 10 minutes at 350 degrees.
I made your nacho recipe this weekend and my husband was so full he took a nap! He never naps! They were delicious! Thanks for sharing.
Do you ever cook chicken in the instant pot? That’s the only way I cook whole chicken now since it’s so easy! I do it alot on Sundays because I can do it first thing and then it’s still sitting warm when we get home form church. Of course, you don’t get crispy skin. But, honestly, every time I used to cook a whole chicken in the oven, my oven would be splattered with grease, so I gave that up long ago anyway. Having to scrub my oven just for crispy skin is not worth it to me! lol. And, the IP doesn’t heat up the kitchen. : )
Yes, I often do. 🙂 I love how fast it is!
Hi Lisa,
Enjoy your blog and I’m so excited to see your upcoming magazine articles and to purchase your book next year. ?
When it’s super hot and humid, I like to serve my family pasta salad. I’ve found organic, whole wheat pasta at Aldi and use it often.
I cook and drain the pasta then put it in a large bowl, add fresh chopped veggies from my garden (bell peppers,tomatoes,radishes,green onion) chopped hard boiled eggs, and left over baked chicken. I mix it all together adding my homemade ranch dressing and poof lunch or dinner. I love making this ahead so the flavors can blend. It’s so easy, cool, fresh, and tasty to eat on a hot and humid day. Besides what kid, old or young doesn’t like pasta?
Thanks again for your tips, tricks and informative videos. I really appreciate them.
All such great ideas! Thank you so much for sharing, Annie!
We tend to have the leftovers from the night before if possible for our lunch. Otherwise we use couscous, rice , pasta as a base and add different types of beans or peas plus salad and dressing. Very rarely if ever do we have bread unless I have made it
I love your videos ! I have a delimma . We’re vegetarian , so I’m trying to adapt your wonderful meal ideas with a vegetarian protein twist. I would love some ideas!
Thank you for sharing. I am always on the look out for simple, healthy, yet yummy ideas for planning meals.